Small businesses often struggle with cashflow and there are a few really great apps that integrate with Intuit QuickBooks to help small businesses access cash to bridge cashflow gaps or for loans to invest in areas to grow their business. Some of the more popular financial service apps available on the Intuit site (and open market) are FundBox, Kabbage, Fundera, ondeck, and BlueVine.

FundBox

allows you to take a cash advance against your open invoices in QuickBooks. You can get paid now and then repay the amount before you’re hit with any fees through the service. It’s a very nice way for small businesses to even out those difficult bumps in cash flow that often cripple growth. We really like FundBox (we met them personally in their studio offices in San Francisco). While we can’t vouch for their services – we certainly can say that they appear to be a great option for small businesses and they have some great reviews on the Apps.com directory.

Kabbage

was once listed on the QuickBooks Apps.com directory and had a special partnership arrangement with Intuit. We aren’t quite sure what happened to their listing on Apps.com which is now gone but their website is still up and they remain a consideration for many small businesses who are seeking loans to grow.

ondeck

is another app that was once listed on the Apps.com directory but is no longer available on the platform. It may be something worth investigating for business loans but we do not know exactly why they are no longer listed so make sure you do your homework before proceeding. It could be something as simple as a lapse in the integration with the QuickBooks platform or a decision made by Intuit to move in another direction. We often find some great apps out there that Intuit simply doesn’t want to promote because they have their own options available.

Fundera

connects to QuickBooks to help business owners apply for small business loans through multiple lenders. They claim that businesses save over $4,000 finding a loan through their service because lenders are competing to secure the loan ensuring you get the best possible rates.

BlueVine

has more than 300 reviews on Apps.com and appears to be a very popular option for business loans. It’s also a ProAdvisor Pick so it should be a safe bet and likely on your shortlist of funding options.

There are a lot more apps available on the Apps.com marketplace (and elsewhere) and they are continually changing so make sure to conduct a thorough review and when in doubt – get some advice from your CPA firm – they should be able to help you pick the right vendor to solve your cash flow issues and may have other (better) options to try that may save you more money in the long-term.Read over our top three EDI recommendations. Read more here.